DATE 14/01/2016

SUBGROUP --1

CYCLE 4 AND

EXPERIMENT
1
CALIFORNIA BEARING
RATIO TEST

SUBMITTED BY --NAME
SUBGROUP
ATISH SAURAV
4

ENTRY NUMBER
2014CE10327

ARPIT GUNAWAT
4

2014CE10322

SHUBHAM GUPTA
8

2014CE10385

NITIN KUMAR
SAMARTH GOYAL

2014CE10351
2014CE13072

8
8

RAVI MAHAWAR

2014CE10364

SHUBHAM CHAUDHARY

2014CE10384

SUNIL YADAV

2014CE10393

B CHANDRAKANT

2014CE10330

ANSHUL PAREEK
4

2014CE10318

CONTENTS
TOPICS
PAGE NO.
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
DESCRIPTION OF APPARATUS
THEORY
PROCEDURE
OBSERVATION
CALCULATION
RESULTS
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
REFRENCES
APPENDIX

LIST OF TABLES
1. TABLE 1. Description of dynamic compaction
2. TABLE 2. Observation table for sand specification
3. TABLE 3. Observation of the proving ring division for
different penetration

LIST OF FIGURES
1. FIGURE 1. CBR Test Apparatus

2.
3.
4.
5.

Introduction and Background

The California bearing ratio test (CBR) was developed by the California
Division of Highways. The method was adopted by the U.S. Corps of
Engineers after World War II for designing the base course of airfield
pavements. The results obtained by these tests are used with the
empirical curves to determine the thickness of pavement and its
component layers. This is the most widely used method for the design of
flexible pavement. The method of test has been standardised by the ISI
also.
The CBR is a measure of shearing resistance of the material under
controlled density and conditions. Briefly the test consists of causing a
cylindrical plunger of 50mm diameter to penetrate a pre-stressed
component material at 1.25mm/minute. The loads for 2.5mm and 5mm
are recorded.
Standard Load - Load which has been obtained from the test on crushed
stone which was defined as having a CBR of 100 percent.
CBR is the ratio of force per unit area required to penetrate a soil mass
with standard circular piston at the rate of 1.25 mm/min. to that required
for the corresponding penetration of a standard material.

Description of
Apparatus

Loading machine: This is used for compaction of the soil at a

constant rate of 1.25mm/minute .A calibrated hydraulic proving ring
to measure the load can also be used.

Figure 1: CBR Test Apparatus

Cylindrical moulds: Moulds of 150mm diameter and 175mm height
provided with a detachable extension collar of 50mm. Spacer disc
148 mm in diameter and 47.7 mm in height along with handle is
also used.
Metal rammers: Weight 2.6 kg with a drop of 310 mm (or) weight 4.89 kg
a drop 450 mm.

Table 1 - Description of dynamic compaction

Type of
compaction
Light
compaction
Heavy
compaction

Number of
layers
3

Weight of
hammer, kg
2.6

Fall, cm
31

Number of
blows
55

4.89

45

55

One annular metal weight and several slotted weights weighing 2.5
kg each, 147 mm in diameter, with a central hole 53 mm in
diameter is also used.

Besides this coarse filter paper, sieves, oven, balance etc are required .

Theory
It is a load-deformation test performed in the laboratory or the field,
whose results are then used with an empirical design chart to determine
the thickness of flexible pavement, base, and other layers for a given

vehicle loading. The CBR determination may be performed either in the

laboratory, typically with a recomputed sample, or in the field. Because of
typical logistics and time constraints with the laboratory test, the field
CBR is more typically used by the military for design of contingency roads
and airfields. The thickness of different elements comprising a pavement
is determined by CBR values. The CBR test is a small scale penetration
test in which a cylindrical plunger of 3 in2 (5 cm in dia) cross-section is
penetrated into a soil mass (i.e., sub-grade material) at the rate of 0.05 in.
per minute (1.25
mm/minute). Observations are taken between the penetrations
resistances (called the test load) versus the penetration of plunger. The
penetration resistance of the plunger into a standard sample of crushed
stone for the corresponding penetration is called standard load. The
California bearing ratio, abbreviated as CBR is defined as the ratio of the
test load to the standard load , expressed as percentage for a given
penetration of the plunger.
For calculating CBR value

( load carried by standard crushed stones at the above penetrationlevel )100

load carried by soil sample at the defined penetrationlevel

CBR value=

In most cases, CBR decreases as the penetration increases. The ratio at

2.5 mm
penetration is used as the CBR. In some case, the ratio at 5 mm may be
greater
than that at 2.5 mm. If this occurs, the ratio at 5 mm should be used. The
CBR is
a measure of resistance of a material to penetration of standard plunger
under
controlled density and moisture conditions. The test procedure should be
strictly
adhered if high degree of reproducibility is desired. The CBR test may be
conducted in re-moulded or undisturbed specimen in the laboratory. The
test is
simple and has been extensively investigated for field correlations of
flexible
pavement thickness requirement

Procedure:
PREPARATION OF TEST SPECIMEN
The test is performed on remoulded specimen which is compacted
dynamically.

The dry density for remoulding is the density is the value of the maximum
dry density estimated by Proctors compaction test.
1. The water taken, 9 percent for a 5kg sample, is placed in a pan and
mixed thoroughly with the soil.
2. The mould with the extension collar attached is clamped to the base
plate. The spacer disk is inserted over the base plate and a disc of
coarse filter paper placed on the top of the spacer disc.
3. The soil-water mixture is compacted into the mould in accordance
with the heavy compaction method. Each layer of soil from a total of
5 layers is given 55 blows by the 4.89 kg rammer.
4. The extension collar is then removed and the compacted soil
carefully trimmed even with the top of the mould by means of a
straightedge. The perforated base plate and the spacer disk is
removed and the mass of the mould and the compacted soil
specimen recorded.
5. A disc of coarse filter paper is placed on the perforated base plate.
The mould and the compacted soil is inverted and the perforated
base plate is clamped to the mould with the compacted soil in
contact with the filter paper.
6. The mould containing the specimen, with the base plate in position
but the top face exposed, is placed on the lower plate of the testing
machine.
7. The plunger shall be seated under a load of 4 kg so that full contact
is established between the surface of the specimen and the plunger.
The load and deformation gauges shall then be set to zero.
8. Load shall be applied to the plunger into the soil at the rate of 1.25
mm per minute. Reading of the load shall be taken at penetrations
of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 4.0, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 and 12.5 mm.
9. The load is released and the mould is removed from the moulding
machine. A soil sample from the top 3cm layer is collected and
weighted for moisture content determination.

OBSERVATIONS
Following were the observations that we have taken in the lab
* Table 2 - Observation table for sand specification

Condition of specimen

Before Soaked

Wt. of Mould +Soil (kg)

Wt. of Empty Mould (kg)
Wt. of soil (kg)
Volume of the Specimen (cc)
Bulk density

8.3225
3.8
4.5225
2250 cc
2.01 gm/cc

Average water content

Dry Density (g/cc)

9%
1.844 g/cc

To calculate Bulk Density and Dry density following formulas has

been used
Bulk density=

Dry density =

weight of soil
volume of the specimen

Bulk density
water content
1+
100

* Condition of specimen at test : Remoulded

* Type of compaction

: Heavy weight, Dynamic

* Table 3 - Observation of the proving ring division for different

penetration
Penetration Standard
(mm)
Load(kg)

Proving
Ring Dial
Gauge
Reading

Load (kg)

0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3

3.4
6
8.2
10.4
12.6
14.6

29.92
52.8
72.16
91.52
110.88
128.48

1370

Corrected
Load(kg)

C.B.R.%

8.09

4
5
7.5
10
12.5

2055
2630
3180
3600

18.4
22
30.8
38.4
45.6

161.92
193.6
271.04
337.92
401.28

9.42
10.30
10.62
11.14

The value of corrected load is not determined because the CBR graph that we get was
matching with the expected graph so there is no correction.
18
16
14
12
10
Load (kg / sq.cm)

Load(kg/sq.cm)

6
4
2
0
0

0 0.010.010.010.010.01
Penetration (m)